As police bellowed instructions outside her classroom door, high school student Xanthe Campbell anxiously grappled with the reality of a school shooter lurking within the corridors.
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“I was feeling incredibly nervous and perplexed because my classmates and teacher almost made it seem like it was just a joke,” she told our sister site, TV WEEK.
“The experience made me realise how desensitised I was about the gun control in American schools,” the 17-year-old added. “It was almost like it was a normality to have a hard lockdown.”
With no shots fired, Xanthe remains grateful for her safety as she returned to the strong gun control policies of Australia.
Back Down Under with a new perspective on life, Xanthe decided to spontaneously join The Voice.
“I applied in the last hour before the cut off,” she told TV WEEK.
The teenager couldn’t ignore the lure of a stage after endless days of staring at walls during COVID lockdown.
“The chance to perform on stage in front of an audience after COVID was one of the best bits. I almost forgot the judges were there,” she told The Canberra Times.
And she’s certainly no stranger to a stage. While living in the US, the 17-year-old also auditioned for America’s Got Talent, getting as far as performing in front of the show’s producers.
Xanthe has already seen more success on The Voice. During the blind auditions, her rendition of Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever earned two chair turns from judges Rita Ora and Jessica Mauboy – who were the only mentors with spaces left on their teams.
“It was like the script was written for you,” Rita said about her performance, before the singer joined her team.
After making it through the blinds, Xanthe took to Instagram to share her delight with her fans.
“So so so thankful for this opportunity and super excited to start this journey on team @ritaora,” she wrote. “I am overwhelmed from all the love and support and i’m excited to show australia the rest of my potential. ♥️♥️”
Having successfully made it through the call backs, the 17-year-old must now brave the battle rounds.
“I’m going to win this battle,” she confidently says in a promo.
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